Who Loves Ya, Baby!

Years ago, a tough private TV detective softened his crazy appearance by chewing on a lollipop instead of a cigar. To those he had rescued by brute force, he also frequently uttered the phrase, “Who loves ya, baby!” For those of us that have dared to oppose the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered] community’s stance on marriage, we know that we are often persecuted and intimidated, just like those who dared to go up against the TV character Kojak. Same-sex marriage proponents have been increasingly free to show us anything but love.

For example, recently a man gained entrance to the Family Research Council’s Washington, D.C., headquarters and opened fire on a security guard. The uncontested facts in the case include the element that the shooter was a 28-year-old man named Floyd Corkins II and that he had been volunteering for at least six months at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Besides his weapon, he carried a bag containing 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches and additional ammunition, and he shouted disapproval of FRC’s “politics.” The shooting occurred just days after the LGBT activist group the Human Rights Campaign labeled FRC a “hate group,” putting the mainstream Christian organization in the same category as groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

First things first: Unarmed security chief Leo Johnson acted heroically by wrestling Corkins to the ground and seizing his weapon with one hand after Corkins had shot him. Johnson exercised admirable restraint by holding Corkins until authorities arrived, rather than shooting him in self-defense. Called a “hero” by D.C.’s police chief, Johnson displayed the very best in human nature—putting his own life on the line and saving the lives of countless staff members in the building.

As LGBT activists continue to try to force the redefinition of marriage on the entire nation, this incident highlights the fact that the playing field is far from level.

Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center noted that NBC gave the story of the FRC shooting 17 seconds of airtime, while CBS was able to devote a full 20 seconds to the criminal tragedy. Now every honest person knows that if a traditional marriage activist had barged into the Human Rights Campaign’s office and shot a homosexual, we would be subject to endless hours of media discussion of how “hateful” and dangerous traditional marriage activists are.

Ironically, when an LGBT activist barged into FRC’s office and attempted to murder traditional marriage activists; we were still subjected to media discussion of how “hateful” and dangerous traditional marriage activists are. CNN repeatedly gave credence to the “hate group” label, with anchors like Zoraida Sambolin taking the opportunity while reporting on the shooting to accuse FRC of “spewing hate.”

The overwhelming majority of the mainstream media long ago abandoned their duty to report the truth objectively where the issue of marriage is concerned. They have sided with the LGBT activists and are using their newspaper columns and television shows to plead their case.

To hear my good friend and co-author FRC President Tony Perkins and his staff labeled members of a “hate group” is beyond laughable. We traditional marriage activists do not hate anyone. We do not fear LGBT individuals, we merely object to their desire to restructure society to celebrate their sexual practices.

This slanderous caricature of people who believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman is more than insulting—it is dangerous. Not only do such lies and distortions potentially provoke violence from mentally unstable individuals like Mr. Corkers, they distort what the debate is really about. The 2003 Supreme Court Lawrence v. Texas—which effectively invalidated all remaining sodomy laws in our nation—ended the debate in this country about the right of consenting adults to do whatever they want in private. W

hat LGBT activists want is much more than that: they want to make any disapproval of their sexual choices a crime. They want to designate any philosophical or religious belief that does not affirm homosexuality and bisexuality as morally equal to heterosexuality a “hateful” position. In short, they want to revoke Christian, Jewish and Muslim freedom of conscience and banish us as bigots. 

Every reasonable person knows that you can disapprove of someone’s life choices without hating that person. Who among us doesn’t have a relative whom we love deeply, but disagree with on matters of lifestyle or personal ideologies? Why is it that so many lobbying groups are trying to label churches as “hate groups” because we disapprove of their lifestyle choices inside of our church communities?

LGBT activists and their friends in the mainstream media want to portray their fight to redefine marriage as one of justice for “victims.” In reality, they want to force the rest of us to approve of their lifestyle. Their aim is not just equal rights but special rights that surpass the rights of every other group in the nation. Now, that’s not love!

Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr. is the senior pastor of Hope Christian Church, a 3,000-member congregation in the Washington, D.C., area. He is also founder and president of High Impact Leadership Coalition, which exists to protect the moral compass of America and be an agent of healing to our nation by educating and empowering churches, community and political leaders.